


You're Acting Weird

by LibraryMage



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Autistic Character, Autistic Ezra Bridger, Autistic Sabine Wren, Brother-Sister Relationships, Found Family, Gen, Hugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-19 23:36:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11908572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LibraryMage/pseuds/LibraryMage
Summary: No one on the crew realizes it, but Ezra hasn't gotten a hug in almost eight years.





	You're Acting Weird

**Author's Note:**

> this is meant to be sometime in early season one, but the exact time isn't really important

Sabine was practically glowing with pride as she, Zeb, and Ezra raced back to the _Phantom_.  As they ran, she had gleefully declared the explosion that had covered their escape to be some of her best work.  Seeing as they had all managed to get away in one piece with no one following them, no one could disagree.

As the _Phantom’s_ hatch closed behind them, Sabine threw her arms around Ezra, holding on for just a second before letting him go and jumping a few inches into the air to get her arms around Zeb’s shoulders.  Ezra stood perfectly still, reeling from the warm feeling that had raced through his chest when Sabine hugged him.  It was still there, but fading fast.  As it did, the weight of what had just happened hit him.

“Ezra,” a voice said from behind him as a hand came down on his shoulder.  He looked back to see Kanan.

“Nice job back there,” Kanan said with a smile.

“Thanks,” Ezra said, though he was barely listening to what Kanan had said as he watched Sabine drop back to the floor and lightly slug Zeb’s arm.

* * *

 

Sabine couldn’t help but notice how jumpy Ezra had gotten over the past few days.  She also couldn’t help but notice that the moments he most seemed like he was about to leap out of his skin were when someone got close to him or touched him.  But he didn’t seem scared or overloaded.  He seemed…guilty, like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t.  After three days of this, Sabine decided it was time to put her powers of observation to the test.

They were on downtime, which meant maintenance and chores, and Sabine and Ezra had been stuck with the job of clearing up the shared areas of the ship.  As she collected some dishes that had just been left lying around (not that she could be too annoyed, considering she was responsible for several of them), she made sure to pass close by where Ezra was picking up some paints she’d left lying out and putting them in a box.  Damn.  Now she’d have to reorganize them.

As expected, she saw that little twitch as she walked by.

“Okay, what gives?” she asked, setting the dirty dishes down and turning back to look at Ezra, her arms crossed.

“What?” Ezra asked, glancing up at her, trying to be casual, though the light strain to his voice screamed “guilty.”

“You’re acting weird,” she said.

“ _You’re_ acting weird,” Ezra retorted, standing up and giving her an annoyed glare.

“Because you were acting weird first,” Sabine said.

“I’m not acting weird,” Ezra insisted.

“Yeah, you are,” Sabine said.  “The past few days, ever since our last mission, you’ve been getting jumpy any time someone gets near you.”

Her eyes narrowed.  “You didn’t get hurt, did you?” she asked.  If he was trying to hide an injury, that would explain a lot.

“No,” Ezra said hurriedly.  “It’s just…” he shifted his weight uncomfortably between his feet, “after that mission, you hugged me.”

Ezra’s face wasn’t actually flushing, but it might as well have been.

“And it’s just…no one’s done that in a really long time,” he mumbled, keeping his head down so he didn’t even have to fake looking at her.

“Like how long?” Sabine asked.

“My parents were the last people who ever…” he left that sentence trail off.  He didn’t need to finish it and Sabine was pretty sure he hadn’t even wanted to _start_ it.  “And I just -- I really liked it and for some reason I really want someone to hug me again and I _hate_ that.”

He rushed the words out and his hands flew up from where they’d been fluttering at his sides to cover his face and hide his embarrassment.

Sabine had to suppress her initial instinct to let out a small “aww.”  That had clearly not been easy for him to say and she didn’t want him to feel like she was laughing at him for it.  Still, even though it was sad, it was a little cute, too.

Instead, she just leaned over and hugged him.  He twitched in surprise and then returned her embrace.  They just stood there for a moment, hugging each other and letting themselves be hugged.

“You know,” Sabine said as she pulled away, “you can ask for hugs.  No one’s gonna judge you for it or anything.”

“You think so?” Ezra asked.

“I know so,” Sabine said.  “I ask sometimes.  It’s embarrassing sometimes, but no one minds.  They understand.”

“Thanks,” Ezra muttered, suddenly back to not looking at her.  “And thanks for not laughing about it or anything.”

She lightly punched him on the arm.  “Anything for my favorite little brother,” she said.


End file.
